August 7, 2011

Yajurveda Madhwa Sampradaya Sandhyavandane – II

The motivation for Sandhayavandam is Shri Hari preeti and Shri Hari Prernaya.
Sandhya vandanam – means a prayer to Surya Mandala madhya Sri Laxmi NarayanaSandhyavandam is a daily ritual to be done 3 times a day, during sunrise, noon and sunset.

If done with love and dedication, it probably the only prayer that needs to be said and can give all types of results.
The Surya Mandala madhya Sri Laxmi Narayana is called Savitur. There are many instances in the shastra where Surya Mandala madhya Sri Laxmi Narayana is invoked for example
a. Aditya Hridayam
b. Akshaya Patre for Yudishtira during vanvas

Giving argya to surya and doing Gayatri Japa with the above context gives all the results as described above and many more. Surya gives health, wealth, fame, etc when given argya regularly.

Importance:
If a dwija does not do Sandhyavandane all other Sadhane is considered ineffective. It is the hall ticket to the exam, you can’t enter the exam hall without hall ticket irrespective of how much you have read at home.

Evil is very active during these times. Therefore we need protection during these times.
During morning; evil spirits don’t let us get up in the form of laziness. Anything that induces laziness and avidya is evil force. Divine force always propels us forward, makes us knowledgable, makes us respectable and ever active. Since we cannot be happy on our own, we need help to be happy. Sri Hari is eternally independent and never helpless.

Narayana is the only indepent GOD ( sarva tantra swatantra) ; hence we pray to him to protect us.
Sandhyavandane is the prescribed form of prayer and full of veda mantras.
Every day the block keeps increasing and stops us from doing dharma karyas; to stop this block from increasing and spreading everyday it is essential to do Sandhyavandane.

The basic requirements for Sandhyavandane to be effective are
1. Timing – Has to performed at the correct time 3 times a day ( before sunrise i.e. while stars are visible, before noon and before sunset )
2. Mantras – Has to be performed with the correct vedic mantras
3. Anusandhana – Has to be performed with the target in mind; i.e. Sri Hari sarvothamma has to be kept in mind throughout the Sandhyavandane
4. Artha – Mantras have to be understood; atleast a basic understanding of the mantras have to be kept in mind. The more and deeper the understanding the better
5. Place – Has to be in a holy spot or in the pooja room – Bhagavad Gita 6.11 – Shucho deshe prathishthaya sthiramanasamatmanah
Anyone arguing that Sandhyavandane has not been effective has to check if the above points have been covered. If anyone does atleast a 1000 gayatris each day for a month; there will definetly be some effect.

These are the angas of Sandhyavandane.

No wet clothes ( 11 times wet cloth beaten against the wind is considered dry ).

GopiChanda dharana after snana is must. It’s not required in afternoon and evening except after bath.

1. Achamana – Drinking a small quantity of water (equal to size of urad dal – hence the name “uddharane”)
Drinking water and Narayana Nama smarane Purifies the internal organs, necessary for Veda mantras pronounciation;

a grain of urad dal should be submersed and gokarana with the palm. Remembering the 24 names of Shri Hari in the

process of creation

The visualization for each name is cross referenced with Keshava Nama from Kanaka Dasa. It’s in Kannada, the

2. Pranayama – Takes in pure air and lets out impure air
Gets us the control of the entire body – Dasha Pranava Gayatri Mantra
pranayamaihi dehe doshan –
Rechaka ( exhaling) 1, Puraka ( Drawing in air ) 2 and Kumbaka (retaining air in) 4 –
Proportion for Pranayama 1:2:4
Draw in from left and exhale from right

* Achamane and Pranayama are repeated many times, not mentioned here for brevity.

3. Sankalpa – Recollecting the date, time and place in which the activity is being performed.
Develops the willpower required for a successful mindset
Recalling place and time – Nasik to Rameshwara costal region is Parshurama Kshetra else South India is Ramakshetra
Panchanga – Tithi, Yoga , Vara, Nakshatra & karana
Vishnu Prernaya and Vishnu Preethyartham

5. Jalabhimantrana – Drinking the sacred water
Purification of the body – This mantra varies slightly for morning, afternoon and evening. It asks for forgiveness for the paapa for the previous time period. For example morning Sandhyavandane asks for forgiveness for the paapa ( if any ) during night time.
Ex – If we stamp on someones leg unintentionally and immidiately says sorry; it is forgiven. If not it becomes a reason for revenge even if it is not intentional.

6. Punarmarjana – Sprinkling of water on one’s body
Re-cleaning the body

7. Paapa Purusha visarjana – draw in water from right and exhale from the left; this will destroy the paapapurusha in our body

8. Suryarghya – Offering the sacred water to Lord Narayana residing in the sun god. Solar energy is recognized as having enormous powers in purification, ripening of fruits, medicinal powers in curing skin and other related diseases.
3 arghyas and 1 parischiita argya ( within 24 minutes of Sandhya kaala )

16 . Narayana Ashtakshara Mantra – This is done 3 * ( no of Gayatri Mantra ) for Siddhi
This is mentioned in Sadachara Smruti of Srimadacharya

17. Dignamskara – Prayer to the presiding deities of all the directions
To get protection and success in all the 10 directions
Devate Namaskara
Mata-Pita Namaskara – All janmas
Pitru Namaskaras
Sandhya Namaskara

20. Krishnarpana – Offering the actions at the feet of Lord Krishna
This completes the activity and gives it all the relevance. An action which is not offered on the feet of the Lord is useless and meaning less

21. Namatraya Japa – For any faults or shortcomings – Achyuta , Ananta and Govinda names are chanted three times –This can be followed for all worship.
To reiterate everything is for Shri Hari Preeti and is possible because of Shri Hari Prerna as stated each time in the sankalpa.

When there is lopa of one sandhya sandhyavandana one gives additionl arghya as prayashcitta
If there is continuous lopa, then sanskara ceases; so one becomes vrat.
So vratyastoma homa has to be undergone and again upanayana sanskaar is done; this is janevu ceremony again.
Incidentally a recital of vishnu sahsranaam with meaning is equivalent to punahsanskaara; similarly sutra parayana

as each letter of sutra parayan gives phala of 24000 gayatri
Also 1000 japa of purushsukta gives punahsanskaara and 100000 ashtakshari gives deha shuddhi so those who have had

upanayana [ bramhins ] and due to foreign travel or shudra/mletcha stree sansarga /maans bhakshana or due to

I had a clarification for Item 8 – Suryarghya. According to Sri Vyasanakere Prabhanjanacharya’s pravachana on “Upanayana Gayatri” (can be found Vyasamadhwa.org, under the “Visit our archive” section – look for “Upanayana Gayatri” folder) the time for prayaschitta arghya is within 2 Ghatikas (approximately 48 minutes) after sunrise/sunset/noon.

He says this at approximately 39 minutes into the pravachana (39:23 to be exact).

You have said 24 minutes here. Please can you confirm whether it’s 24 minutes or 48?